<h1>SFP#52: Policy and EU: Insights from the T-DOSE conference and the Dutch community</h1>In our 52nd episode, we turn our attention to the European stages, this time going 
to the Netherlands. There, on 6 and 7 June, Dutch volunteers and Free Software 
enthusiasts came together for the 2026 T-DOSE conference, the heart and soul of 
the local community. 

The FSFE’s Dutch team not only supports the FSFE, but is also involved in organising 
a local conference on Free Software. On this Software Freedom Podcast episode, Bonnie 
speaks to Nico Rikken, a long-standing FSFE volunteer and coordinator of the Dutch team. 
Through his voluntary work, Nico is a strong advocate for Free Software and is also part 
of the core team organising the T-DOSE conference: a Dutch nationwide annual conference 
dedicated to Free Software. Like many local conferences, T-DOSE has that special 
atmosphere, that sense of belonging and community. Join us to get to know the Dutch 
Free Software hackers! 

In this episode, Nico and Bonnie discuss the Dutch Free Software community, with a 
particular focus on the T-DOSE conference. Together, they discuss the challenges 
facing local conferences and how the team behind T-DOSE plans to tackle them. 

The FSFE's policy work is an important part of our aim to safeguard 
Software Freedom. You can support our work by 
<a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/podcast.html">donating</a> today!
Show notes<ul><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/donate">Support our work for Free Software</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/newsletter.html">Stay up-to-date and join our Newsletter</a></li><li><a href="https://t-dose.org/2026/">T-Dose, official webpage</a></li><li><a href="https://fosstodon.org/@tdose">T-Dose on Mastodon</a></li><li><a href="https://mastodon.nl/@nicorikken">Nico Rikken, Mastodon</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/about/people/rikken/rikken.html">Nico Rikken at FSFE</a></li><li><a href="https://www.hackerpublicradio.org/eps/hpr4641/index.html">hpr4641 :: Technical Dutch Open Source Event (T-DOSE)</a></li><li><a href="https://tube.t-dose.org/videos/browse">T-DOSE @ peertube</a></li><li><a href="https://pretalx.t-dose.org/2026/talk/WQGEJN/"> We promote and talk about 'open', but are we actually -doing- it enough?</a></li><li><a href="https://linux.vooreenbeginner.nl/">Linux voor een beginner (Dutch only)</a></li><li><a href="https://blogs.fsfe.org/flx/2014/11/11/t-dose-2/">FSFE @ T-DOSE, 2014</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@T-DoseEvent/streams">T-Dose Live Stream</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/2026/episode-50.html">SFP#50: Policy and EU: How NGI wants to save the Internet and what's next?</a></li><li><a href="fosdem.org">FOSDEM conference</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31k9TZKha7M">Angry Nerds Podcast at T-DOSE 2026 deel 1</a></li></ul>We are happy to receive your feedback on the Software Freedom Podcast 
and especially on the <a href="https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/transcript/episode-52.html?ref=download">transcript 
of the episode</a>. Please, email us to: podcast@fsfe.org. If you liked this episode and 
want to support our continuous work for software freedom, please help us 
with a <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/podcast.html">donation</a>.<a class="learn-more" href="https://mastodon.social/@fsfe/116737964064136203">Discuss this </a><a href="https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast">Join the FSFE community and support the podcast</a>

<description>In our 52nd episode, we turn our attention to the European stages, this time going to the Netherlands. There, on 6 and 7 June, Dutch volunteers and Free Software enthusiasts came together for the 2026 T-DOSE conference, the heart and soul of the local community. Join the FSFE community and support the podcast: https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast</description>

Policy and EU: Insights from the T-DOSE conference and the Dutch community

In our 52nd episode, we turn our attention to the European stages, this time going to the Netherlands. There, on 6 and 7 June, Dutch volunteers and Free Software enthusiasts came together for the 2026 T-DOSE conference, the heart and soul of the local community. Join the FSFE community and support the podcast: https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast

Software Freedom Podcast

SFP#52: Policy and EU: Insights from the T-DOSE conference and the Dutch community

<h1>SFP#51: Policy and EU: The challenges for public code in public administration!</h1>In this monthly Software Freedom Podcast episode we are talking with the Nordic Institute 
for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS) and their X-Road, a Free Software well-used in public 
institutions. Together with Johannes Näder from the FSFE, and Petteri Kivimäki (NIIS) we 
discussed the current challenges that Free and Open Source Projects meet in public institutions. 
With the SFP#51 the FSFE dives into the topic of digital sovereignty through Free Software 
and the current challenges for Free Software projects in public administrations. X-Road, 
maintained by NIIS, is a well-used Free and Open Source Software project in public institutions. 
It is used in severral countries and has a stable development through the organisation with the 
support of eight public bodies. Meanwhile, the FSFE's initiative "Public Money? Public Code!" is 
gaining more attention and becoming a well-used phrase in political discussions.Still Free Software is not yet adopted in all the institutions and there are several challenges 
ahead for the Free Software ecosystem. With our 51st episode Johannes, Petteri and Bonnie take a 
deep look at those challenges and how some could be overcome. 

The FSFE's policy work is an important part of our aim to safeguard 
Software Freedom. You can support our work by 
<a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/podcast.html">donating</a> today!
Show notes<ul><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/donate">Support our work for Free Software</a></li><li><a href="https://publiccode.eu/">Public Money? Public Code!</a></li><li><a href="https://download.fsfe.org/campaigns/pmpc/PMPC-Modernising-with-Free-Software.pdf">PMPC Brochure with X-Road</a></li><li><a href="https://www.niis.org/">Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS)</a></li><li><a href="https://x-road.global/">X-Road®</a></li><li><a href="https://github.com/nordic-institute/X-Road/"> X-Road (Github repository)</a></li><li><a href="https://media.ccc.de/v/39c3-lightning-talks-tag-2#t=6819">39C3 Lightning Talks Day 2 with X-Road</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/newsletter.html">Stay up-to-date and join our Newsletter</a></li></ul>We are happy to receive your feedback on the Software Freedom Podcast 
and especially on the <a href="https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/transcript/2026/episode-51.html?ref=download">transcript 
of the episode</a>. Please, email us to: podcast@fsfe.org. If you liked this episode and 
want to support our continuous work for software freedom, please help us 
with a <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/podcast.html">donation</a>.<a class="learn-more" href="https://mastodon.social/@fsfe/116578295339378296">Discuss this </a><a href="https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast">Join the FSFE community and support the podcast</a>

<description>In this monthly Software Freedom Podcast episode we are talking with the Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS) and their X-Road, a Free Software well-used in public institutions. Together with Johannes Näder from the FSFE, and Petteri Kivimäki (NIIS) we discussed the current challenges that Free and Open Source Projects meet in public institutions. Join the FSFE community and support the podcast: https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast</description>

SFP#51: Policy and EU: The challenges for public code in public administration!

In this monthly Software Freedom Podcast episode we are talking with the Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS) and their X-Road, a Free Software well-used in public institutions. Together with Johannes Näder from the FSFE, and Petteri Kivimäki (NIIS) we discussed the current challenges that Free and Open Source Projects meet in public institutions. Join the FSFE community and support the podcast: https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast

<h1>SFP#50: Policy and EU: How NGI wants to save the Internet and what's next?</h1>We reached our 50th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast! Thank you! 
Without the support of our listeners we would not have made it this far &lt;3. 
In this episode Bonnie talks with Gabriel Ku Wei Bin, from the FSFE's legal 
team about how the European Next Generation Internet initiative works to move 
us in the right direction towards a human-centric web.
The Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative aims to build a more resilient, 
trustworthy and open Internet. Through the NGI umbrella, the European Union provides 
financial support to Free Software <a href="https://ngi.eu/discover-ngi-innovations/?">projects</a> covering all layers of the Internet, 
to improve user experience of the Internet. The FSFE team provides support to NGI0 
grantee projects on legal and licensing issues, as well as helping them to become 
REUSE compliant. 
In 2024 a funding cut amounting to almost €26 million was announced, which marked 
the end of the NGI initiative by 2027. The loss of this funding affects the 
Free Software ecosystem and its ability to steadily build important foundational 
technologies from the ground up. The Free Software Foundation Europe stepped up, 
with the support of hundreds of people, to try to safeguard this funding, and managed 
together with our consortium partners to find a new funding umbrella to continue the 
work that was done under the NGI Initiative. But why is funding like this needed in 
the first place? And what will be happening next? 

In this episode, Gabriel and Bonnie talk about the reasons behind NGI and 
how important it is more than ever to step up against the monopolisation 
of the Internet as we know it.

The FSFE's policy work is an important part of our aim to safeguard 
Software Freedom. You can support our work by 
<a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/podcast.html">donating</a> today!
Show notes<ul><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/donate">Support our work for Free Software</a></li><li><a href="https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event/TQS7LM-interoperability-dma-apple-google/">Interoperability regulation in the EU: Opening iOS and Android for Free Software</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/2024/episode-26.html">SFP#26: Policy and EU: the need of long-term funding and the NGI case</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/2024/news-20241113-01.html">EU consultation confirms demand: long-term funding for Free Software is needed </a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/activities/ngi/ngi.html">Next Generation Internet Zero (FSFE's activity)</a></li><li><a href="https://ngi.eu/ngi-projects/ngi-zero/">Next Generation Internet Zero (official webpage)</a></li><li><a href="https://nlnet.nl/">NLnet Foundation</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/2023/news-20230425-01.html">The FSFE is helping to build an “Internet of Humans”</a></li><li><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13880-Digital-Europe-programme-interim-evaluation/public-consultation_en">EC Public consultation: Digital economy and society</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evgeny_Morozov#Books">Evgeny Morozov, "The Net Delusion: the Dark Side of Internet Freedom"</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix">The Matrix (movie) Wikipedia</a></li><li><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers">Fred Rogers Wikipedia</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/newsletter.html">Stay up-to-date and join our Newsletter</a></li></ul>We are happy to receive your feedback on the Software Freedom Podcast 
and especially on the <a href="https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/transcript/2026/episode-50.html?ref=download">transcript 
of the episode</a>. Please, email us to: podcast@fsfe.org. If you liked this episode and 
want to support our continuous work for software freedom, please help us 
with a <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/podcast.html">donation</a>.<a class="learn-more" href="https://mastodon.social/@fsfe/116380070378795776">Discuss this </a><a href="https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast">Join the FSFE community and support the podcast</a>

<description>We reached our 50th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast! Thank you! Without the support of our listeners we would not have made it this far &lt;3. In this episode Bonnie talks with Gabriel Ku Wei Bin, from the FSFE's legal team about how the European Next Generation Internet initiative works to move us in the right direction towards a human-centric web. Join the FSFE community and support the podcast: https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast</description>

Policy and EU: How NGI wants to save the Internet and what's next?

We reached our 50th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast! Thank you! Without the support of our listeners we would not have made it this far <3. In this episode Bonnie talks with Gabriel Ku Wei Bin, from the FSFE's legal team about how the European Next Generation Internet initiative works to move us in the right direction towards a human-centric web. Join the FSFE community and support the podcast: https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast

SFP#50: Policy and EU: How NGI wants to save the Internet and what's next?

<h1>SFP#49: O Captain! Let's talk about the FSFE Zurich group!</h1>
For our 49th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast we invited Ralf Hersel and did our first 
cross production with the Podcast “Captain it’s Wednesday” from GNU/Linux.ch. Ralf is part or 
the FSFE Zurich group and the GNU/Linux.ch, a community driven news page about everything 
related to Free Software and free society. In this general episode of the SFP Ralf takes us 
through the many activities the FSFE local group in Zurich has been doing.

Together with Bonnie Mehring, Ralf Hersel takes us back to the six activities the local group has 
either organised itself or participated in. He reflects on what went well and what could have gone 
better as well as where the problems lay and the learnings as a local group organising and 
participating in events. It is inspiring and amazing to see so much energy coming from a group 
of volunteers!

But Ralf is not only very busy with the FSFE local group in Zurich. 
Next to it, he is also an active contributor to the community driven news 
platform <a href="https://gnulinux.ch/">“GNU/Linux.ch”</a>. Over 220 authors contribute to the news page and share their 
stories. In the Podcast of GNU/Linux.ch, “Captain, it’s Wednesday” over 100 people have 
been invited to join over the years. This is the first cross-production of the Software 
Freedom Podcast and you find the episode released by “Captain it’s Wednesday” <a href="https://gnulinux.ch/ciw172-podcast">here</a>.
Get inspired by our latest episode and find out more about the FSFE’s local groups in Europe!The FSFE's work aims at safeguarding Software Freedom. You can support our work by <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/podcast.html">donating</a> today!Show notes<ul><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/donate">Support our work for Free Software</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.fsfe.org/en/LocalGroups">Community: FSFE's local groups</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.fsfe.org/en/LocalGroups/Active/Zurich/Monatstreffen">FSFE local group Zurich</a></li><li><a href="https://lernenwiedieprofis.ch/">Lernen wie die Profis (DE only) (Learn like a pro)</a></li><li><a href="https://fedigov.eu/">FediGov: Federated communication for public authorities</a></li><li><a href="https://www.digitale-gesellschaft.ch/">Digitale Gesellschaft Schweiz (DE and FR only)</a></li><li><a href="https://parldigi.ch/de/people/matthias-stuermer/">Digitale Nachhaltigkeit, Matthias Stürmer (DE and FR only)</a></li><li><a href="https://netzwerksds.ch/">Das Netzwerk für eine souveräne digitale Schweiz (DE and FR only)</a></li><li><a href="https://gnulinux.ch/ciw172-podcast">Captain it's Wednesday - Folge 172 - Ralf at Software Freedom Podcast"</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/newsletter.html">Stay up-to-date and join our Newsletter</a></li></ul>We are happy to receive your feedback on the Software Freedom Podcast and especially on the <a href="https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/transcript/2026/episode-49.html?ref=download">transcript of the episode</a>. Please, email us to: 
 podcast@fsfe.org. If you liked this episode and want to support our continuous work for software freedom, please help us with a <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/podcast.html">donation</a>.<a class="learn-more" href="https://mastodon.social/@fsfe/116261181868308771">Discuss this </a><a href="https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast">Join the FSFE community and support the podcast</a>

<description>For our 49th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast we invited Ralf Hersel and did our first cross production with the Podcast “Captain it’s Wednesday” from GNU/Linux.ch. Ralf is part or the FSFE Zurich group and the GNU/Linux.ch, a community driven news page about everything related to Free Software and free society. In this general episode of the SFP Ralf takes us through the many activities the FSFE local group in Zurich has been doing. Join the FSFE community and support the podcast: https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast</description>

O Captain! Let's talk about the FSF Zurich group!

For our 49th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast we invited Ralf Hersel and did our first cross production with the Podcast “Captain it’s Wednesday” from GNU/Linux.ch. Ralf is part or the FSFE Zurich group and the GNU/Linux.ch, a community driven news page about everything related to Free Software and free society. In this general episode of the SFP Ralf takes us through the many activities the FSFE local group in Zurich has been doing. Join the FSFE community and support the podcast: https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast

SFP#49: O Captain! Let's talk about the FSFE Zurich group!

<h1>SFP#48: Policy and EU: From open questions and attestation, how the CRA is moving forward!</h1>
Once again Alexander Sander and Bonnie Mehring sat down for our monthly Software Freedom Podcast episode! The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) keeps us busy and there are still a lot of uncertainties around it. Take a break and listen to our latest Policy and EU episode of the Software Freedom Podcast.

Alex and Bonnie talk about the most pressuring questions from the community in regard to the requirements by the CRA. During FOSDEM a Q&amp;A session was organised in the Legal and Policy DevRoom. At this session a lot of questions were pointed towards the role of the stewards and manufactures and what the CRA requires of them and what it does not. Together, Alex and Bonnie shed some light on the roles of Free Software developers and about the options the CRA has in stock for single developers. Followed by an outlook on what will come next in the CRA with the upcoming delegated act on Article 25, with option of attestation. 
If you are a Free Software developer this is the perfect episode for you to find out what options you have and what lies ahead of you.The FSFE's policy work is an important part of our aim to safeguard Software Freedom. You can support our work by <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/podcast.html">donating</a> today!Show notes<ul><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/donate">Support our work for Free Software</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/2026/news-20260224-01.html">Addressing your questions about the Cyber Resilience Act</a></li><li><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/16959-Draft-Commission-guidance-on-the-Cyber-Resilience-Act_en">Draft Commission guidance on the Cyber Resilience Act </a></li><li><a href="https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event/QEZ3LB-cra_-_role_of_free_software_and_q_a/">CRA – Role of Free Software and Q&amp;A @ FOSDEM</a></li><li><a href="https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/track/cra-in-practice/">CRA in practice dev room @ FOSDEM</a></li><li><a href="https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event/PTHENV-sustaining-foss-with-attestations/">Could Compliance Costs Sustain FOSS? A Theory of Voluntary Attestations @FOSDEM</a></li><li><a href="https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event/EERURR-implementing_the_cyber_resilience_act_-_engaging_with_open_source/">Implementing the Cyber Resilience Act - engaging with open source @FOSDEM</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_Resilience_Act#Reception">Cyber Resilience Act: Reception (Wikipedia)</a></li><li><a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2847/oj/eng#art_25">Cyber Resilience Act, Art. 25, "Security attestation of free and open-source software"</a></li><li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/newsletter.html">Stay up-to-date and join our Newsletter</a></li></ul>We are happy to receive your feedback on the Software Freedom Podcast and especially on the <a href="https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/transcript/2026/episode-48.html?ref=download">transcript of the episode</a>. Please, email us to: 
 podcast@fsfe.org. If you liked this episode and want to support our continuous work for software freedom, please help us with a <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/podcast.html">donation</a>.<a class="learn-more" href="https://mastodon.social/@fsfe/116221252984908348">Discuss this </a><a href="https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast">Join the FSFE community and support the podcast</a>

<description>Once again Alexander Sander and Bonnie Mehring sat down for our monthly Software Freedom Podcast episode! The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) keeps us busy and there are still a lot of uncertainties around it. Take a break and listen to our latest Policy and EU episode of the Software Freedom Podcast. Join the FSFE community and support the podcast: https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast</description>

Policy and EU: From open questions and attestation, how the CRA is moving forward!

Once again Alexander Sander and Bonnie Mehring sat down for our monthly Software Freedom Podcast episode! The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) keeps us busy and there are still a lot of uncertainties around it. Take a break and listen to our latest Policy and EU episode of the Software Freedom Podcast. Join the FSFE community and support the podcast: https://my.fsfe.org/support?referrer=podcast

SFP#48: Policy and EU: From open questions and attestation, how the CRA is moving forward!

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